DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Today a major FIDE
Presidential campaign event took place in the United Arab Emirates. Anatoly
Karpov met with UAE chess federation president Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim to discuss
the future of chess in the region - and of course the FIDE presidential election
at the end of September. You can read the official
press release, so I will give the basic facts quickly: The UAE has pledged
its support for Karpov; Sulaiman Al Fahim will have a VP position in the new FIDE;
$80,000/yr in chess development funds will go to the region in Karpov's first
term.

Things were made more
interesting by the sudden arrival of incumbent FIDE president Kirsan
Ilyumzhinov, who, despite frequently stating that the election is all but over
in his favor, was clearly desperate to disrupt any agreement between the 12th
world champion and the influential Arab nation. Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim is a businessman
and sports patron of great reputation and having him on Karpov's side is sure
to be a huge asset, and not only in the Middle East and Asia.

Kirsan nearly swept the region
in the last election, but his former supporters have gotten tired of his empty
promises and here they left him holding the bag at his own press conference
without the presence of UAE Federation. The UAE Federation offices are located
just across the street from the Dubai Chess Club where Kirsan was planning to
have his own press conference - to which he flew four days earlier than planned
upon hearing the news of Karpov's pending UAE support. Dr. Suleiman Al Fahim
did not think it necessary to tell Kirsan in person that he no longer supports
him, as he had told him numerous times on the phone. Kirsan could not believe
it and kept asking his assistant Berek to repeatedly call in a last-ditch
effort to change the mind of the head of this prominent Arab Chess Federation. It
did not work.

It looks like the remembrance of
old promises is the best Kirsan has to dole out, as between election years hardly
any of his promises have been kept. Bessel Kok received 54 votes four years ago
based on a number of Federations desiring change. Four more years of wasted time
and funds squandered on such efforts as Global Chess has given Karpov's
campaign the needed momentum to bring FIDE into the hands of chess players.
Today's shock for Kirsan is a victory for players that want to see real
corporate sponsorship in the game of chess. I am happy to have witnessed it in
person.

GM Maxim Dlugy

GM
Max Dlugy is a former World Junior Champion and former president of the United
States Chess Federation. He was in Dubai on behalf of the Karpov2010 campaign.